The Suffolk Sheriff’s Office has begun the process of seeking accreditation through the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission, Sheriff E.C. Harris said.

Harris, who took office in January following the retirement of longtime Sheriff Raleigh H. Isaacs Sr., said he believes the process will create a better sheriff’s office.

“We want to follow the best practices and the standards nationwide,” he said.

The office is in the process of reviewing its standards and policies, Harris said. The goal is not only to make sure their policies follow best practices but also to make sure the policies closely align with other sheriff’s offices as well as the Suffolk Police Department.

“We’re trying to marry a lot of our policies and procedures with theirs,” Harris said of the police department, noting they work together every day on various emergency scenes and non-emergency efforts. “That’s one of the most important things, so there’s no guesswork.”

Harris said the accreditation process will be accomplished with existing staff, and the only fee is a $250 fee for the accreditation process itself.

“We’re in pretty good shape,” he said. “We’ve set a goal of 18 months.”

Maj. James Darden is in charge of the effort for the sheriff’s office.

“It puts everybody on the same or close to the same page,” he said. “It will assist us in making sure our policies and procedures are current, they’re being reviewed annually and all of the employees know what they are.”

Darden also said the process will “create a more professional employee.”

“It’s going to be labor intensive, but it’s going to produce a good product,” he said.